By: FVSU Office of Sports Information
Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) Antoinette Oglesby defended her national title in the triple jump at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 2010 Championship on Saturday, May 29th in Charlotte, N.C. Oglesby claimed back-to-back titles after her third jump in the championship round of 42ft 6.25in.
Early in the competition, Oglesby sent a not so subtle message that it would take an incredible effort to dethrone her as national champ. With jumps in the preliminary round of 41ft 6in, 41ft 9in, and 42ft 02in, it was clear that the champion was in top-notched form. In fact, all three of her jumps in the preliminary round were better than any registered by the field of competition during the entire event.
As the field of competitors headed into the championship round, the toughest competition for Oglesby appeared to be Oglesby herself. While almost a foot in distance separated her from her closes opponent, Oglesby would use her three jumps in the final round to continue building her triple jump legacy. Her jumps of 41ft 10in, 41ft .01in, and 42ft 6in did just that!
Here’s the proof! All six of Oglesby’s recorded jumps in this year’s championship were better than her 2009 title distance of 40ft 9in. Her final jump in the championship round of 42ft 6in was not only Oglesby’s personal best it also broke the previous FVSU record set by Sharlene Fuller in 2002 of 42ft 3in. Her record breaking jump is also the 7th all-time best in NCAA Division II history.
Oglesby’s jump of 42ft 6in is just off the NCAA Division II record of 43ft .08in set by Seattle Pacific’s Karin Grelsson in 1992. And judging from Oglesby’s improvement from last year to this season, the junior has a legitimate shot to break the NCAA record in 2011. In addition to back-to-back championships (2010 & 2009), Oglesby also was the NCAA runner-up in 2008.
For FVSU, Oglesby was not the only Lady Wildcat to mount the champion’s podium in the triple jump. Junior Kiana Key finished sixth overall with a jump of 39ft 4.5in.
-Wildcats Athletics-
